Confessions of a Dishaholic

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Last week I started my Christmas tour in the kitchen, as well as sharing a tablescape in my breakfast nook.....this week I'm moving on to the the living room.

I'll start with our 9+ foot live Christmas tree, which I decorated in shades of red & green.

Here's another angle.

And here's a look with the lights turned off.

{Excuse the furniture.}

After adding the lights, I started with the top of the tree..... where a couple of Mark Roberts santas are perched. Red & green glittery branches, grapes, & holly berries add some fullness and interest.

{Unfortunately, the pics just don't do it justice.}

Ribbon, mesh, ornaments, and other fun elements decorate the rest of the tree.

As you might have noticed, several fairies even found their way onto the branches.

In case you haven't caught on, I absolutely love fairies and santas by Mark Roberts!

(You'll see a few more as the tour continues!)

A few other Christmas elements are added here & there.....

.....another fairy is perched on a stack of books on the end table......

......while a few ornaments add some Christmas spirit to the coffee table.

A few Christmas pillows are thrown on the couch & chair as well......

.....while the whole reason for CHRISTmas is displayed on another table.

Moving to the opposite side of the room, the armoire receives more Christmas spirit, with candles, greenery, & berries.

When "burning", they add a beautiful glow.

I'll back up just a little so you can get a glimpse of that side of the room.

Next to the armoire is the tuffet I love so much, which is now displaying another santa, greenery, and more ornaments.

{To see the tables, armoire, and tuffet decorated for other seasons, click here and here.}

And you might have caught a glimpse of the mantel a time or two.....

well, last but definitely not least, here it is!

I plan to make a coordinating wreath and maybe add some candles next year!

I must give my husband credit for helping me put this together! Not only did he wire the greenery together for me so that it would form a "V" in the middle like I wanted, but he also spent over 4 hours helping me wire the ornaments, ribbon, grapes, and flowers to the greenery!

Here are a couple close-ups:

{I just might have to do a tutorial on this at some point!}

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you're enjoying the tour. Be sure to come back next week as the tour continues!﻿

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Perfume and incense make the heart glad, but the sweetness of a friend is a fragrant forest.

Proverbs 27:9 (GWT)

Friendships are one of those special blessings from God.

Do you have those friends that you've known your whole life....you know, those friends you might not get to see often, but when you do, you pick up right where you left off?

Well, growing up, I had a small group of friends at church.....friends with whom I share many memories. Although we are now scattered in different locations, we try to make it a point to get together at least 3 or 4 times a year & "catch up." Last year, I had the privilege of having them over for a Christmas dinner....no husbands, no kids.....just us girls!

So I decided it was the perfect time to bring out some of my girly dishes!

Yesterday I shared some of the Christmas decor in my kitchen & breakfast nook, & gave you a little hint as to the theme of my tablescape, but I made you wait 'til today to see it!

So are you ready for my very girly "All I Want For Christmas" tablescape?

Shades of red & green make this table playful & festive.

A semi-sheer, red polkadot tablecloth casually lies down the center of the table, while 2 mercury green trees & a pair of glittery red "heels" add some height & interest. A few green rhinestones are also scattered here & there, because at Christmas, you can never have too much sparkle!

Now on to the place settings. I wanted each place to be slightly different & special, yet carry on the theme......so each one had different glassware, napkins, napkin rings, etc., but the color scheme pulled them all together.

So I'll go around the table & show you each one....

Grounded with a green charger, a red scalloped dinner plate is then topped with one of my "All I Want for Christmas" salad plates, this one stating, "A Designer Bag in Every Color."
A lime green polkadot bread plate adds yet another layer, while a glittery red shoe ornament not only adds interest, but makes a little extra gift for my friends.
A tall green lime green goblet & a shorter ruby red goblet find there place here, too.
A green napkin is topped with a red & green polkadot dish towel (yes, I said dish towel....sometimes you have to be creative), & held together with a sparkly red napkin ring.
Although difficult to see in the picture, a mixture of red, green, & clear flatware continue the playfulness.

Moving to the next place setting.....
.....a red charger with clear rhinestones serves as a backdrop, while a lime green scalloped dinner plate adds contrast. This time the "All I Want For Christmas Is A Huge Diamond Ring" salad plate makes its appearance, while a red polkadot bread plate tops it off. A sparkly lime green shoe ornament rests at the top, while a lime green napkin & red snowflake napkin are held together with a green beaded napkin ring. The flatware again is a playful mix, & a green water goblet is paired with a Christmas goblet.

Just across the way, another red scalloped plate rests on a green charger.....
....only this time the salad plate reads, "ALL I Want For Christmas Is A Dozen Designer Shoes." A white napkin is layered with a lime green & red dish towel, which displays the words to The 12 Days of Christmas, and is held together with a red diamond napkin ring. A green hobnail tumbler is paired with a shiny red goblet.

And finally, the red charger & green dinner plate make another appearance....
....as the backdrop for the "All I Want For Christmas Is The Perfect Little Black Dress" salad plate. A red napkin is topped with a lime green zebra print napkin & held together with a jingle bell napkin ring, and a lime leopard goblet is paired with a red tumbler.

And in case you're curious about what those "All I Want For Christmas" plates look like under there, here is a little glimpse before I added the top layers....
{Unfortunately, it looks like I didn't take any close ups of them last year.}

Instead of having place cards on the table, I decided to add some fun to the back of each chair with sparkly tulle & a small sequined stocking. An initial ornament (again for each girl to take home) reveals where each one is to sit.

I also love to decorate my chandeliers at Christmas!
Going along with the theme, this one is a mix of sprays, ornaments, & other Christmas elements.
I know....it's a little over the top, but someone once told me, "Anything worth doing is worth over-doing!"
That pretty much sums up my decorating philosophy!
The ornaments include shoes, handbags, diamond rings, fun coats, & anything girly.
While some hang directly from the greenery, others are tied with ribbon, allowing them to "float" below.

So now that you've seen all of its parts, here's a step back so that you can see the whole picture.

{If you look to the left, you can see just a glimpse of the red & green Christmas tree in my living area, which is where I'll continue the tour next Wednesday!}

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About Me

Welcome to my blog, a reflection of who I am & what I treasure most - my God, my husband & family, my work as a counselor, my home, and of course, my dishes! As you well know, many people struggle with addictions...some to chocolate...others to shoes... Me? I'm addicted to dishes & anything that goes along with it! (Okay, so I may be a little addicted to shoes & chocolate, too.) As you follow my blog, you'll encounter a variety of topics, some regarding what God is doing in my heart & life, others about something I've read, & probably many about decorating, organizing, & tablescaping.....pretty much just whatever is on my heart at the time. My hope is that by "peeling back the layers" & letting you see a little deeper into my heart & life, that it somehow blesses you along the way.